A Different Place

Chapter 20 - My Dinner With Gary

Tron was waiting at the door when Prince Gary's men came to get her. "About time!" she said, exasperated.

To her surprise, Gary wasn't actually here to get her. In fact, it was a woman, the first she'd met since being held prisoner in Garrdan Castle. "Hello, Princess Tron," the woman said. "I'm here to escort you to the baths." She was an older woman, with golden hair turning grey and dull blue eyes that were almost the same color as the stone from which the aquamarine castle was made.

Two guards also accompanied the woman, to Tron's dismay. The young pirate gracefully exited her cell, for cell it was, in deed if not in name, and followed the older woman up the aquamarine stairway. "And you are?" she asked roughly.

"Lady Alaine, the Prince's aunt," she said, not looking back in Tron's direction. Tron got the feeling that Alaine didn't like her very much.

That was okay, because Tron didn't care. "Are we going to dinner now?"

"No," said Alaine sharply, "you have to wash yourself first."

Tron didn't mind cleanliness, by any means, but something in the other woman's tone made her feel less than enthusiastic about her upcoming task. "What do you mean 'wash myself?'" She could feel her temper starting to strain, but didn't much care. It would feel good to vent on someone.

"Just what it sounds like," Alaine said, leaving Tron no opening for comeback as they ascended the stairs and began walking down a hallway Tron was not familiar with.

Tron resisted the urge to growl. "You don't like me very much, do you?"

"No," Alaine said fiercely, stopping in her tracks and turning around to face Tron. "I raised him like he was my own son, do you understand? His mother died in childbirth, and I was all he had! And now he tells me his marrying some outlaw girl whom we've only heard about on the news! Noble blood or not, I don't care! You're an insect, a peon, not nearly worthy of Gary!"

Grinning, Tron said, "Hey, I agree. I don't want this wedding to happen any more than you do. Tell you what: why don't you send these two off and I'll leave right now? Then we'll both be happy."

Alaine turned around and resumed her trek to the baths. "Don't think I haven't considered that," she said over her shoulder, "but I have to value Gary's happiness above my own, no matter how...disgusted I am."

Tron was starting to like Alaine, except for her policy on Tron's marriage to her nephew. Alaine took Tron into a spacious aquamarine bathroom, complete with several massive columns and a lake-sized swimming pool. As Tron dipped her foot into the water, she realized it was heated, either from an underground spring or a refractor-powered water heater. The truth was, she didn't care which. Tron slipped out of her aquamarine-colored dress and into the bath.

She really had to get one of these installed on the Gesellschaft. The only problem was, she'd have to construct a whole new floor to house it in. Maybe if she sold the Golden Refractor. Teisel would never go for it, of course, but sometimes he had to be shown who was boss. MegaMan would pretty much do whatever she said, so...MegaMan. Tron hadn't thought about him for a while, had she?

He was probably really worried about her! He'd probably think it was all his fault, too, because he was Spotting for her when she disappeared. If nothing else, she had to get out of her to tell MegaMan she didn't blame him. It wasn't really Tron's fault, either, because that damned robot had his stupid Catatonic Blast. She needed to figure out a way around that. Tron splashed her face and made sure her hair was well-scrubbed before she got out of the bath. She had to admit, no matter what happened in the next few hours, she felt good now.

And her dress was gone. "What?!" she demanded, but no one answered. Apparently, a bath attendant had taken her clothing away while she was in the tub, and she hadn't even noticed. Tron grabbed one of the fluffy towels from a nearby stand, and dried herself off, then wrapped it around her body. She stepped gingerly on the wet tile with her bare feet, stopping in front of a wide mirror covered in lights.

It was well-equipped, too, with a large hairbrush, a comb made of what looked like pearl, a bottle of hair gel (not Tron's brand, but it would do), and a wide selection of cosmetics. Tron made quick use of the hairstyling tools, brushing her brunette locks back into their customary position, but she wasn't sure exactly what to do with the cosmetics. Growing up in a family full of men hadn't prepared her very well for that.

She pulled open the mascara and gently brushed her eyelashes. Next, she opened up three different colors of lipstick before she settled on one---her favorite shade of pink. Finally, she smeared some blue eyeshadow on in the appropriate places, feeling a twinge of pain as she crossed her bruised skin. Urrrh!! She wished she knew something more about make-up so she could hide that ugly thing! It was just laying there, on the left side of her face, mocking her.

Tron put down the eyeshadow and realized there were about three-quarters of the cosmetic products left that she had no idea how to use. She jumped as she saw a figure draw up behind her.

"Your dress, Princess," said the bath attendant, handing Tron a dress which for all intents and purposes was the same as the one she'd worn before, except this one had ruffles around her shoulders, although it still had no sleeves. They had also provided clean undergarments for her, so Tron put those on, then slid herself into the dress, groaning as she saw her reflection. She looked good, but if anything this skirt was shorter than the last had been. She wasn't some kind of floozy, after all.

"Off hand, I'd say we're in the armory," Teisel said, gazing at the weapons, armor, and Reaverbots that surrounded them.

"No argument here," said MegaMan. He inspected one of the deactivated Reaverbots. "You think that big one is..."

"The one that fought Tron? I'd say that's very likely." Teisel began systematically removing the ammunition and battery charges from all of the weapons in the room. As he retrieved them, he chucked the items out a nearby window into the ocean. "You might want to give me a hand at this," he said. "It could save us a lot of trouble later."

MegaMan nodded and began dumping whole boxes of ammo out the windows. "Do you have any idea what happened to Tron? Or Bon, for that matter?"

"I hate to admit it," Teisel said, throwing a couple of Arm Cannon parts outside, "but I really don't know what's happening here. As far as I know, we have no standing feud with the House Garrdan, unless we've stolen something of theirs lately. I don't think they'd want to fight us just because we Dug in the ruins."

"Me, either," said MegaMan, smashing a couple of batteries with his armored fist.

"Hold on a second," Teisel said as he adjusted his radio. "Number Nineteen, can you hear me?"

"Yes, Master Teisel," came the response.

"Well? Any progress?"

"No sir," said Nineteen. "We still haven't located Master Bon."

"Have you even gotten to the bottom yet?"

The Servbot hesistated. "Ummm, well, we lowered Number Forty on the string, but it only went down about twenty feet, so, we don't really know what to do now..."

Teisel smiled. "It's all right; you'll figure something out. Keep me apprised if anything changes."

"Roger!" agreed Number Nineteen.

"I think we've got them all," MegaMan said, smashing one final battery. "What now?"

"Now, we go upstairs and we crush anyone who gets in our---" Teisel started shivering, then crumpled to the metallic floor.

"Teisel!" MegaMan rushed over to Teisel's side. "What's happening? Are you all right?"

The elder Bonne's eyes were wide with shock, and he convulsed uncontrollably. Finally, he forced out, "I'll...bet...it's that...Strength Solution...side effects..." He gasped, exhausted with the effort of talking. "If...can't...go on...it's up to...you..."

"It's a little early for that," said MegaMan. "Let's stay here for a while and see if you get any better, okay?"

Teisel's face showed a little relief, despite his current struggle.

"You look lovely," gushed Prince Gary as she entered the dining hall. Tron could tell he was impressed with her preparations for the evening, meager as they might have been. Good. That meant he'd be more distracted when she made his move. That was why her heart was pounding so fast, she told herself.

"Thanks," Tron said dryly, remembering that the good-looking prince had kidnapped her and, quite possibly, killed or seriously injured her baby brother.

Prince Gary, his father, King Garland, and Lady Alaine awaited Tron at the dinner table. As Tron was seated, the others took their own seats as well. Tron waited impatiently for her empty plate to be filled by the awkward, bumbling servant standing beside her. Each diner had his or her own servant, and all four were covered in aquamarine robes that hid their features. Tron's, however, seemed particularly clumsy, nearly falling twice while standing still. In fact, there was something very odd about that servant...

"Psst!" said the servant. "Miss Tron!"

Oh, no. Tron tried not cry out in dismay as she realized that her dining assistant was in fact, three Servbots in one outfit. Most likely Number Two was on top, with the other two standing on their respective shoulders to simulate the height of a human man. "Quiet!" she hissed out of the side of her mouth. "Don't screw this up for me!" She should have realized that the servant's arms were about a third the length of a normal person's. Still, no one else had as of yet.

"What was that?" asked Prince Gary from the place to her right.

Tron laughed theatrically. "I said, 'all this for me?' I'm a little overwhelmed."

"Of course it's all for you," said Gary. "You're going to be Queen of Garrdan Isle one day. You should get used to living in luxury." It might have been Tron's imagination, but she thought she saw Alaine cast her a nasty glance from the corner of her eye.

"It's all so much," Tron said, fluttering her eyes at him and giggling like a dolt. She noticed that the door on the far side of the room led to the outside. "Where does that lead?"

"To the central parapet," said Gary. "It provides a wonderful view of the ocean, which we I shall show you after the meal. In the evening sun, it is unbelivably beutiful, though not so much as you."

Tron couldn't blush on cue, but she found she didn't precisely need to. What was wrong with her tonight?

Another robed servant entered the dining room. He walked over to Prince Gary's side and whispered something to the handsome young man. "I see," Gary said. "I'm afraid dinner will be postponed for another quarter-hour or so."

"A shame," said King Garland, "but why?"

Gary looked quizzically at his father. "Apparently, the refractors from the stove and oven have been...misplaced."

"That was us!" said Number Two quietly. Tron caught a flash of red light from within the Servbots' robe.

Okay, so she'd gained another fifteen minutes. What should she do with them? "Prince Gary," said Tron, rising from her seat. However, she did not realize that as she stood up, everyone else would be required by decorum to do so as well. "Um, sorry. Anyway, I thought, since we have a couple of minutes, we could go out on the balcony for a...walk."

"That's a good idea," said Gary. "Please excuse us." He led Tron out the door and to virtual freedom. Tron saw her "servant" discreetly following her as she walked through the arched doorway.

"Oh," said Gary, as if in afterthought, "I hope you won't mind, but I do need some...insurance to make certain that you don't try to escape." He punched a green button which was located on the outside of the castle. "I think I'll just call Guelly up here to ensure you don't try leaping off the balcony or anything of that sort." The floor in front of Tron and the prince parted, and she heard a mechanical elevator whine to life.

Rats. She'd almost had him. Still, it wasn't as if there wouldn't be other chances. Basically, there was no chance of escape right now. Even with the Servbots to aid her, she couldn't take on a giant Reaverbot wearing nothing but the short-skirted fashions of Garrdan Island. Maybe if she... What was that?

"MegaMan!" she cried. It was him! How did he know..? It didn't matter, it was him! And he was standing right next to Guelly on the elevator platform! Now, she finally be able to tell him that...that she forgave him of course, but maybe that...

Tron was so distracted by MegaMan's arrival that she didn't see Prince Gary's eyes on her. The prince of Garrdan Island saw the way Tron's emerald eyes lit up at this new boy's arrival and knew his cause was lost with her. Gary's lip curled in anger. He would hurt whoever this newcomer was---just like he'd been hurt by Tron's rejection.

"Who are you?" Gary demanded, clenching his fists.

MegaMan took in his new surroundings very quickly, taking note of Tron, her captor, and the three Servbots who had tumbled over by the castle door. He looked at Gary coldly and paid heed to the voice inside him.

"I'm MegaMan Trigger," he said, the sea breeze blowing gently through his hair, exposing his sorcerer's lock.